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Hill 60

Hill 60 is a low rise on the southern flank of the Ypres Salient in Belgium and was named after the 60 metre contour which marked its bounds. It is best known for what happened underground during a brief time. This is where the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company took charge over the mining operations in November 1916. On the 7 of June 1917, at the start of the Battle of Messines 19 mines filled with 450,000 kg of explosives, were detonated under the German lines demolishing a large part of the hill and killing approximately 10,000 German soldiers. Although only 19 of the 21 mines exploded, it created one of the largest explosions in history, reportedly heard in both London and Dublin.